1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods and systems for designing, ordering and customizing electronic systems. In particular, it relates to creating a customized electronic system based on a user specification created using a universally configurable system.
2. Related Art
Creation of customized electronic systems is common and wide-ranging. In one well-known example, military contractors are provided with detailed specifications by the Defense Department; the systems are subsequently designed, constructed and delivered to the customer (i.e., the Defense Department in this example).
Other familiar examples include construction of semi-customized computer systems such as those offered by Gateway Computers. The customer can order a computer tailored to his or her needs, selecting items such as processors, drives and modems. The company then builds the particular computer and ships it to the customer. The customer, however, has a limited number of stock components to choose from and cannot test the final system prior to its construction and delivery.
Electronic systems, such as audio systems, also have longstanding practices of customization based on the user""s needs. Often an audiophile or a musician becomes familiar enough with a system or component to make the change him or herself, often by trial and error. Commercial establishments have also offered customization services of existing systems or components, based on the user""s design or description of the end sound or result. Commercial establishments have also provided construction of complete systems or components based on a customer""s design, or its own design based on a customer""s description. All of these various schemes also suffer from the drawback that the first time the customer hears or otherwise evaluates the system or component is after it is constructed and delivered.
Electronic systems currently exist that incorporate a wide range of features, functions and capabilities. Some such systems allow a user to design a particular system by configuring and customizing programmed features within the system, and then testing the configuration. In addition, some systems permit the user to program a particular""system using more elemental features supported by the system, and the programmed configuration may also be tested. If the configuration is acceptable, the system so configured may be implemented for its desired purpose. If not, it can be reconfigured by re-programming the system until acceptable. If the specifications change over time, or become unnecessary, the system may be reconfigured to the new specifications or reimplemented in a completely different configuration.
A prominent example of an electronic system described immediately above are programmable digital signal processors (DSP), including digital effects processors. Early effects processors used analog circuitry and devices, along with knobs and other switches for adjusting parameters. For example, shift registers were used for delay and circuitry was used for frequency adjustment.
With today""s DSPs, a microprocessor interfaces with DSP chips and are programmed to create the desired effects and outputs from the chips. At a fundamental level, the DSP may be programmed with a large set of modules, which each contain a digital processing capability, general control function and/or a mathematical function. In addition, DSP manufacturers may create and store a set of DSP processing program segments, each of which provides a certain sound, effect, or other function for the user. These segments, or xe2x80x9cpresetsxe2x80x9d, are generally comprised of one or several modules. The user typically has the ability to alter the parameters or variables that are used in the presets. For example, for a filter preset, the DSP allows the user to change the frequency parameters of the filter. Depending on the particular DSP function invoked, external inputs may or may not be needed.
An example of such a DSP is the Orville(trademark) Audio Effects Processor by Eventide, Inc., the assignee of the present invention. The Orville(trademark) is a programmable, multi-channel, digital signal processor. The Orville(trademark) has two processors and also includes numerous electronic modules, each providing digital signal processing capabilities, general control and/or mathematical functions. The Orville(trademark) includes hundreds of presets (alternatively referred to as xe2x80x9cprogramsxe2x80x9d) configured in various ways to provide a menued array of reverbs, pitch shifters, distortion, dynamics, equalization, phasing, flanging and other music and production effects.
The user can thus invoke the presets of the Orville(trademark) via a menu to exploit their intended effect. For effects that operate on external inputs (as opposed to, for example, effects that are entirely generated internally), the Orville(trademark) has a number of input interfaces. Using a menu on the face of the Orville(trademark), the user can adjust the parameters (or variables) of the preset. For example, if the preset is a low pass filter, the user can adjust the frequency cutoff. The user can also store the preset with the adjusted parameters as a separate customized program.
Digital signal processing units may also be programmable, thus allowing the user to create his or her own effects, instead of being limited to the presets or programs chosen by the manufacturer. For example, the Orville(trademark) is also programmable by the user. By using programming accessed via the front panel of the Orville(trademark), or by using software supplied by the manufacturer that is loaded onto a PC, the user may construct a desired configuration of the modules of the Orville(trademark) by selecting the modules used, creating the inputs and outputs between modules and adjusting the parameters of the modules. The software also allows the user to assign parameters to the knobs and other manual controls on the front panel of the Orville(trademark), thus giving the user the ability to manually adjust these selected (adjustable) parameters (such as gain, output channel, etc.) for the designed effect. Meters (such as simulated meters, including LCDs) displaying certain parameters (such as amplitude) may also be programmed for display on the front panel of the Orville(trademark).
Once the effect is designed, the design is downloaded to the microprocessor of the Orville(trademark), which xe2x80x9cbuildsxe2x80x9d the designed effect from the modules. The execution (or xe2x80x9cbuildxe2x80x9d) of each such effect is done by creating programming that links the various modules together in the manner designed by the user. The build takes only a few seconds, thus giving the user a near simultaneous experience of the effect. The user can experiment by making quick changes to the design and immediately experience the effect.
The programmability of the Orville(trademark) and like DSPs allows the user to experiment by implementing effects that may be more complex than the presets. For example, the user may combine modules to have a filter followed by a delay followed by a phase shift. The effect may be immediately built and tested. Adjustments may be made to the parameters of the effect, or it can be re-designed and immediately re-tested.
While electronic systems that incorporate a wide range of features, functions and capabilities, including those that are configurable, such as the Orville(trademark), provide the advantage of allowing the user to design and/or test particular functions, and then to reconfigure the system as desired at a later time, they have a number of disadvantages. Such xe2x80x9cuniversalxe2x80x9d systems are often relatively expensive, since they include software and/or hardware that provide the user with so many options. Implementation of particular effects using the universal system is thus a costly and inefficient use of the device, because the true power of the universal system is its capacity to develop effects. For example, a small studio may have a number of particular effects that it wants to implement and regularly use over an extended period of time. Implementing a number of effects using one or a few Orvilles(trademark) requires (at least) re-programming the Orville(trademark) and integrating it in the particular setting for the desired effect. This is (at best) time consuming and tedious. It can delay production, or, when more simultaneous effects are needed than available Orvilles(trademark), limit the desired production. Generally, a small studio will not have (or be willing to expend) the resources to purchase a separate Orville(trademark) to implement each effect. Finally, use of the Orville(trademark) to implement effects can hinder the work of those developing new effects.
The invention includes a commercial method of customizing a particular system from a universal system having numerous constituent capabilities that, are configurable. The user designs a particular system and implements the particular system by accessing and configuring the universal system. The user then tests the particular system as configured. If the test results indicate that the particular system is acceptable, then the configuration is not changed. If the test results are not acceptable, then the universal system is re-configured and the particular system as re-configured is tested until the resulting particular system is acceptable.
Once a design configuration of a particular system is found acceptable by the user, as described further below, the design specification is then sent by the user to a manufacturer for construction of an individual unit based on the design. The user is thus also the xe2x80x9ccustomerxe2x80x9d of the manufacturer and the terms xe2x80x9cuserxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccustomerxe2x80x9d will be used interchangeably (and sometimes together) in the description below. The xe2x80x9cmanufacturerxe2x80x9d includes any person(s) or entity that performs the services as described below. In particular, hardware and/or software from the universal system that is not needed to support the particular system as designed by the user is excluded.
The manufacturer also offers one or a number of front panels, which include buttons, knobs, displays, etc., arranged in one or more standard configurations. These buttons, knobs, etc. may be used to provide control of the adjustable parameters and inputs of the particular system designed. The user (customer) adapts the designed system to work with one of the front panel arrangements, thus providing external inputs and control signals to the system. As part of the specifications sent to the manufacturer, the user includes legends and calibrations for the knobs, levers, meters, etc. for the chosen panel. The user also supplies artwork for the front panel, so that it will look customized.
Alternatively, the user may design and supply the manufacturer with a completely custom design of the front panel, including a completely custom layout of knobs, buttons, displays, etc. selected by the user for the front panel. These knobs, buttons, etc. likewise provide the control interface between the user and the adjustable parameters of the particular system.
The manufacturer uses the design specifications sent by the user to implement the particular system in a stand-alone device. Only those constituent capabilities of the universal system needed to support the particular system are included in the implementation, configured as specified by the user. In particular, hardware and/or software from the universal system that is not needed to support the particular system is largely or completely excluded.
The manufacturer also creates the front panel for the particular system based upon the design sent by the user. As noted above, this may be one of a number of particular panel configurations offered by the manufacturer that the user adapts to the designed system. Alternatively, it can be a completely customized panel designed by the user for the system. The unit created by the manufacturer also has input and output connections that interface with the designed system, as well as the labels, calibrations and other artwork supplied by the user. When complete, the stand-alone unit is tested and then delivered to the user.
The method is an extremely efficient and economical method and system for constructing highly customized end products. The customer uses the comprehensive universal system as a design and testing tool, but does not use it to actually implement particular systems. The customer may use only a small fraction of the capabilities of the universal system in the design of the particular system. In addition, the particular system is built in an economical manner by being implemented using only the standardized constituent components (such as hardware and/or software) of the universal system that are needed. Thus, only a short time is required to manufacture the particular system and the cost of manufacturing and delivering the particular system can be a fraction of the cost of the universal system.
In addition, because the particular system delivered to the customer uses the same constituent components as the universal system and is configured in the manner designed by the customer, it will perform identically to the one that was implemented and tested by the customer on the universal system. This substantially reduces or eliminates customer dissatisfaction and returns of the delivered system, which also contributes to an overall reduction in manufacturing costs.
Also, because the front panel is customized by the customer, who uses his own artwork, the delivered system also looks customized for the customer and/or his or her business. Customer satisfaction with this aspect of the delivered product will also be high, again reducing the cost associated with customer dissatisfaction and returns.